In surgical practice, there is an ongoing need for improved methods to accelerate recovery time following standard ligament repairs such as the re-attachment or repair of tendons, ligaments, or other tissue which has separated from the bone. The separation, tear or other deficiency can be due to ligament injury, trauma, chronic laxity, genetic defects, and various surgical procedures, among other causes. Typical procedures for the repair of ligaments include the use of bone tunnels and suture anchors.
When standard repair methods are used, there is often a need for the patient to be immobilized or risk a post-surgical failure or poor healing. The source of this risk is in no small part due to an observed weakness and/or loss in flexibility in the ligaments during a recovery period following surgery where the joint and related soft tissue is not being used. This weakness and poor flexibility can prevent the safe exertion of stress on the repaired ligaments. Thus, post-surgical instructions typically include steps to prevent any motion in the repaired joint post-operatively. This is intended to minimize the possibility of rupture or other forms of damage due to stress on the repaired ligament.
Occasionally, following surgery or following a period of time where the joint is prohibited from movement, external bracing systems have been used which allow for limited motion of the joint for a period of time. However, such external braces are cumbersome and difficult to use in everyday life. Similarly, sutures have been used to replace native soft tissues (i.e., ligaments and tendons) or elastic bands have been used to supplement repaired soft tissues to promote joint stability. However, they do not provide for a limit on the mobility of the joint. As such, these suture bracing systems allow for the possibility of over-exertion of the joint which could result in the aforementioned risk of injury to the repair.
Thus, a need exists for an internal bracing system that can be a standalone construct or provide augmentation to soft tissue repair to stabilize the joint and limit mobility of the joint following surgery. Similarly, a need also exists for a method that provides for implantation of such an internal bracing system that allows for a controlled and limited range of motion where a suture structure is implanted as a standalone construct or as an augmentation to repaired soft tissue.